rewrite this title First Look: Capital One Landing at LGA – NerdWallet

Capital One’s newest lounge is finally landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.

Unlike a traditional lounge, this spot is the second Capital One Landing location — a tapas-style dining concept in partnership with Michelin-starred chef José Andrés. Guests are seated by a staff member and can order food at one of the tapas bars or by scanning a QR code.

Capital One invited me to a press preview of the Landing — which it’s calling its flagship — before it opens its doors to the public on Feb. 18, 2026. Here’s what guests can expect on their next visit and why this might be my new favorite lounge at LaGuardia.

The Capital One Landing at LaGuardia (LGA) is located in Terminal B at the beginning of the sky bridge that leads to the American Airlines concourse. Because LaGuardia’s terminals aren’t connected post-security, passengers on Delta Air Lines, which operates out of Terminal C, can’t easily access this lounge.

The lounge will be open daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. You can enter the lounge up to three hours before your scheduled departure.

Passengers can book a reservation in advance through the Capital One app, well before they actually arrive at the airport. If you’re an expert planner — and have the determination to show up at your scheduled slot — that could be a great way to guarantee your spot and skip waiting in line.

The menu is familiar, with popular small plates from DCA making an appearance at LGA. A six-foot-tall “hedge” separates the Landing from the rest of the terminal, rather than a traditional wall, allowing passersby to peek inside the space, while still offering guests privacy. (The construction barricades were still up when I visited, since the lounge hadn’t opened yet.)

You’ll also recognize some of the same lighting fixtures, flooring patterns and tile backsplashes.

But as the flagship Landing, LaGuardia’s outpost has its own spin on things — including the fact that it’s more than double the size at 12,500 square feet with seating for about 180 people.

The first area of the lounge is an interior space that resembles a traditional restaurant, with a massive four-sided bar as the centerpiece and plenty of seating around it. There’s a lot of greenery here, which is something Capital One has leaned into with its lounge locations.

You’ll notice several art pieces throughout the lounge, but the most eye-catching is the 30-foot mural painted by a local artist celebrating Spanish cuisine and the shared experience of eating together. That mural wraps around a curved wall at the front of the Capital One Landing, making it viewable whether you’re inside or outside.

There are also luggage nooks where you can store your suitcases out of the way while you dine.

My favorite part of this Capital One Landing is the indoor terrace, which was previously an outdoor patio. While the entire lounge features massive windows, they’re particularly noticeable here, with skylights built into the 25-foot ceilings.

There’s a vibe shift when you walk into the terrace, from the wicker chairs that give it a more relaxing feel to the trees strung up with lanterns that evoke a sense of being outdoors. Some seats here offer a great view of the Manhattan skyline.

In the lounge, you’ll find five all-gender restrooms, each outfitted with a baby changing table. There’s also dedicated power at each seat.

I thought that flexibility was a smart move, particularly for those who don’t have much time before their flight and just want a quick bite. Instead of waiting for a hot dish, they can head to the counter and pick a few items to snack on.

The menu changes throughout the day, with breakfast items like open-faced montadito sandwiches, eggs Benedict and overnight oatmeal in the morning. For the lunch and dinner menu, guests can expect dishes like croquetas, carne asada with mojo verde sauce and lentil soup.

For breakfast, I loved the lox and Cristal bagels, which were lighter and airier than New York-style bagels (yes, I went for seconds). From the lunch and dinner menu, I enjoyed the carne asada and pan con tomate (bread with tomato) topped with Iberico ham. Wrap up your meal with the mango and coconut sticky rice, or if you have a big sweet tooth, try the flan.

Throughout your meal, look out for Capital One’s signature Daily Rituals — a roaming cart that offers a table-side opportunity to try some off-menu items, such as a caviar cone or a goat cheese-infused tomato cone. Other rituals might include a vermouth cart, cocktail demonstrations with martinis, gin and tonics and mimosas, or a dessert cart.

There’s no way of knowing in advance what Daily Ritual you might encounter; you’ll find out when it appears.

The drinks menu features an extensive list of cocktails, with classics like espresso martinis, Manhattans and New York sours. If you’re a fan of mocktails, try the Flamingo Shuttle, a guava and vanilla concoction that was popular among attendees at the preview.

There are also Spanish wines, beers, teas and coffee drinks available.

Unlike the DCA location, Capital One doesn’t offer paid grab-and-go food options at the Landing in LaGuardia. Those grab-and-go items are typically complimentary at Capital One Lounges (which are different from Landings), so it might be disappointing for guests who have grown accustomed to the offering to lose it entirely.

I fly out of LaGuardia often, and this might be my new go-to lounge at the airport — and I’m saying that as someone who has access to pretty much every single lounge at Terminal B besides American’s Admirals Club.

The food quality is top-notch, the service is quick and you can book your spot early, something that lounges typically don’t allow. Plus, the space itself is absolutely beautiful, especially the terrace with its massive windows offering views of the planes and the Manhattan skyline.